Apiay - Capitán Luis Fernando Gómez Niño

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ICAO Code SKAP/
Last Validated Aug 2009
City Apiay
Position 04°04'34"N 073°33'46"W
Runway(s) 11/29
Elevation 1227 ft

General

Apiay is located near Villavicencio and is a main combat base of the Colombian air force and army. From here, daily counter-insurgency operations are undertaken in the east and south east of the country. The base also houses a limited American presence and is sometimes referred to as Gomez Nino airbase, after the main air combat unit based here. Not surprisinly, security levels are high. Beware, aircraft spotting and photography are not generally understood as a hobby in Colombia and extreme caution is required at this front line airbase.

Layout

The airbase is part of a huge military complex which also houses a hospital and an army battalion. The battalion usually houses helicopters as well on a compounded adjacent to the airfield. Apiay has a single east-west runway, with facilities on both sides of the runway. The army can be found to the north west of the runway, whereas the main facilities, the Super Tucano squadron, tactical air squadron and storage can be found to the north east of the runway. To the south east, the Tucano squadron, the air defence squadron and the US compound can be found. Because of the large military complex, views of the airbase from outside are limited, with only the east side providing a chance. Access to the west side is blocked by military installations, shooting ranges, woods and the local agricultural university.

Getting There

The airbase is located just south of road no.40 from Villavicencio to Puerto Lopez in Meta department, about 10kms south east of Villavicencio's town centre. It is not to be mixed up with Villavicencio-Vanguardia airport, which can be found just north of town.

Around the Airport

1Approach 28 - south side

Main road no.40 leads along the 28 threshold and from a distance the base can be viewed from here. To find a good spot to park your car and wait for some action to happen is something else. There are only few side roads off the main road where you enter freely and park your car a bit off the main road to stay out of sight. One such spot is at the Y-junction as depicted on the map on the west side of the road, and another spot can be found across the main road on the east side. Aircraft on finals will be fairly high here, but you will have no problem reading them. Photography is not recommended, but should be possible in theory.

2Approach 28 - north side

A bit further north off road no.40 another spot can be found, which is closer to the centre-line but on the north side of it. The road can be found east of road no.40. Reading aircraft on finals for approach 28 is no problem from here, photography is a different story though.

Frequencies

126.200Tower
119.300Villavicencio approach

Based Operators

Fuerza Aérea Colombiana - CACOM 2
GRUCO 21AT-27
A-29B
AC-47T
AH-60L
C212
Ce208
SA2-37B
SR-560
United States Army
204th MI Batallion Det.EO-5B

Preserved

FAC2504RB-26C, gateguard, north side
FAC2018T-33A, gateguard, north side
FAC2030T-33A, preserved on pole, south side, visible from road no.40

Other Airfields

Apiay - Capitán Luis Fernando Gómez Niño  
Barranquilla - Ernesto Cortissoz  
Bogotá - El Dorado International
Cali - Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Intl  
Cali - Marco Fidel Suárez  
Cartagena - Rafael Núñez  
Guaymaral - Flaminio S. Camacho (Chía)
Leticia - Alfredo Vásquez Cobo  
Madrid - Mayor Justino Mariño  
Medellín - Olaya Herrera  
Rionegro - José María Córdova  
San José del Guaviare - Jorge E. González Torres  
Santa Marta - Base Antinarcóticos  
Santa Marta - Simón Bolívar
Villavicencio - Vanguardia

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